Gaian Fauns
Gaian Fauns '''are a large group residing in the forests of Gaia. While they appear to be half-goat, half-human - and at times even claim to be - they did not originate with either species. '''__TOC__ Gaians and Grecians Gaian Fauns are significantly different from Grecian Fauns in several ways, mostly cultural, but there are some internal differences as well. Their name comes from a time when the ancient Grecian Fleet had sent settlers to colonize parts of Gaia. They found a people that resembled their own myths that went by the ''Gikaome ''nation (''meaning '''with hooves') and conquered them for a time. The Gikaomians learned Greek, which soon became widespread, and became bilingual from that day forth. The Gikaomian saint-figure, Yyouset, was given the name Pan, as his form was very familiar to the Greek god. In ancient Gikaomian religion, he wasn't a god but a very important satyr, as the very first of their kind to have been made. After the Greek influence, he became more powerful, and was soon the central focus of their religion, all of their other gods became less important figures and were only honored in various holidays. Finally, after almost 400 years of being occupied by the Greeks, they left, but not without renaming the Gikaomians. They were Fauns now, and they would call themselves that permanently. Only a few people have ever even heard the word Gikaomian since. Sects, Communication, Isolation Sects The Gaian Fauns have a history of war amongst themselves, but they've mostly been small fights and nothing more. There are hundreds of sects, or ethnic groups of Gaian Fauns in the forests, in varying sizes but none have been big enough to get on anyone's radar. They mostly keep separate from each other, but when they do meet - if they aren't historically known to be rivals - the sects are kind to each other and very hospitable. Language Most villages speak Greek, and all villages speak the ancient native Gikaomian tongue called Satyrspeak by most people. As Satyrspeak is limited, with only a single word for every object or concept, it's mostly only used to name their children, and for various formal occasions - often to impress. Greek is the more casual language. Grammatical structure and spelling (though they do not often use written language) does not vary anywhere in the Faun nation, but pronunciation varies far and wide. Isolationism Gaian Fauns have become distrustful of Humans since the Greeks have left them, after they discovered that they lost their culture and could not retain it. They decided soon after the ordeal that they would not accept Humans among them ever again except for brief periods of time. Religion and Culture Heska Heska is the religion shared by all Fauns, in which they believe that Gaia was created by two clouds (a husband and wife cloud) that split off from each other after bumping into the end of the universe. They believe that all of the species of Gaia were created by the clouds in order to pacify her when she was crying. Her favorite animal, the Goat, and the cleverest sapient, the Human, were combined by the clouds into the creature that stopped Gaia crying - the Faun. Holidays and Traditions *Gokhesk (Communion of Pan) is a wild party at the beginning of each week in which the Most High Priest of the village says prayers over each of the days of the coming week. One drinks a goblet of wine after each prayer, even the children and infants, and another goblet for each good day of the last week. Various happy songs and compositions on panpipes are played intermittently. If the mood strikes, this ends with a village wide orgy. *While Fauns generally get married for life, sexuality is very free amongst them. As often as possible, a village will have drunken parties in which anyone's wife, husband, daughter, son, whoever is fair game. (Fauns don't usually mind illegitimate children, as long as you can't tell the child is a bastard because he looks just like his real dad. However, if the child is half-human or half of another species, they will be shunned, as Kaok was.) *Marjiok (Big Dance) is the gigantic ceremony at the end of each year in which all 19 year old Fauns are married to their chosen partner. It is celebrated by drinking, frivolity and singing. Halfway through, an older Faun (usually of 25 or 26) wearing a mask adorned with black feathers will come out and pretend to kidnap the brides. The grooms attempt to rescue them, but there's no real consequence if they can't other than ridicule, and those that succeed are given a garland of flowers of some sort by their bride to place over their horns. Tattoo Days after birth, generally coinciding with the time a Faun grows their horns, a tattoo-stripe is applied to the child's face (While they are numbed with a diluted venom) in a sort of Baptismlike tradition. The Most High Priest of the village will drink a goblet of wine before Pan, raise his glass and look at the child. The Priest channels the fate from the clouds into his hands through the goblet and the first color that comes to his head is the color that the tattoo on the child shall be. Depending on the color, their fate shall be different. *Red: Demon Repellant - the child will be free of evil, whether in themselves or in evil spirits. *Orange: Fortune - the child will be rich or have many things. *Yellow: Fame - the child will go down in history. *Green: Luck - the child will be inexplicably lucky. *Blue: Fertility - the child will bear many healthy children. *Purple: Contentment - the child will be happy in the end, no matter what happens. *Black: Longevity - the child will live an incredibly long time. *Brown: Good Harvests - the child will not grow hungry, because harvests will be good around them. *White: Heskik - the child will be favored of Pan. Obligations Baptised followers of Heska are obligated to do these three things, despite the general carefree nature of their religion. *Answer any plea of help from another follower. *Raise any child that doesn't have a home until they are at least 19. *Attend any gathering that the Most High Priest initiates.